The Harpy's Mistletoe
by AlwaysObviously
Summary: Hermione Granger and Severus Snape are stuck together under a mistletoe. Unfortunately - or should I say fortunately - it is a special kind of charmed mistletoe with very specific requirements... EDIT: Well, it started out as a complete oneshot, but it has turned into a little story. Fluffy lemony goodness. SS/HG - COMPLETE; Epilogue might follow.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: After all this time? Always! Ah, Severus Snape! There is just no one like you…**

The Harpy's Mistletoe

Hermione's heart was racing in her chest. She had just wanted to sneak into the kitchen to get a snack before returning to her room to snuggle under her blankets and keep on reading. It was her favorite way to spend New Year's Eve, which she preferred to attending any parties (just like the one taking place right now, on the lower level of Grimmauld Place, which she had set out to avoid at all costs).

She had just rounded a corner when she had bumped into someone. She had stumbled and thought she was about to fall, when she had been pulled up by invisible magic strings, turning her to face the person she had run into. Her heart had stopped in her chest before racing off in a mad rhythm: It was Severus Snape – her mysterious, dark, delicious Potions Professor.

He scowled at her as she muttered an apology, then turned to leave. A look of irritation crossed his features as he tried to move away, but seemed unable to do so. He looked around, then up, and cursed before pulling out his wand and pointing it towards the ceiling. "Finite Incantatem!"

Hermione looked up to see a mistletoe suspended in the air above them. It lit up as the spell hit it, but again, both of them were unable to move away.

Snape's scowl deepend. "Incendio!" Flames burst around the mistletoe, but after they had disappeared, it remained unchanged. He peered closer, cursing. "It seems this is a Harpy's mistletoe. Dammit! It cannot be destroyed. The spell can only be broken by… traditional means." He glowered at her. "Its requirements depend on the… desires of the female 'victim' of the spell. So we should be fine with a peck."

He closed his eyes as if in pain, straightening his frock coat, before he peered into her eyes: "Prepare yourself!"

She had to suppress a smile at that. Poor Professor Snape, having to kiss a student. One of age, but, nevertheless, a student. A student with a huge, secret crush on him. Her whole body tingled at the thought of his lips pressed against hers. She closed her eyes, waiting breathlessly, but in the end, it was just the merest brush of his lips on hers, but she felt them all through her body. When she opened her eyes, she tried not to convey how much it had affected her.

He had already turned to leave, but found himself locked in place by the same magic restraints as before. A look of bewilderment crossed his features as he looked up at the mistletoe and back to her, and then to the side in confused contemplation. He muttered under his breath before addressing her.

"I was pretty sure that this is a harpy's mistletoe. It should have worked. Unless…" His sentence dwindled off before his black eyes pierced her's. "Were you, by any chance, hoping for more than just a peck?"

She swallowed and tried to fight the blush that was threatening to creep up her neck. "Obviously," she whispered.

His scowl deepened before he cleared his throat again. "Well, it would be good to know how far we have to take this, as not to spent more time with unsuccessful attempts," he sneered.

"Pretty far" she muttered. At his impatient expression, she gave an exasperated sigh. "Well, you know, the whole package!" He just kept scowling at her, so she burst out: "Do I really have to spell it out for you? A French kiss!"

He stared at her, an expression of shock on his face, before his hand shot down and pulled her wand from her grasp. He flung his arms upwards, both of their wands pointed at the mistletoe: "INCENDIO!" Twin streams of flame engulfed the mistletoe, but it persisted.

"DAMN IT!" he shouted, pushing her wand back into her hand before running his fingers through his hair, then rubbing his temples and pinching the bridge of his nose. She wanted to feel bad for him, she really did, but the excited, happy little bubbles in her belly made that really hard for her.

He glowered at her, then sneered. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

As he bent to kiss her again, her eyes fluttered shut. When his lips touched hers, hot flashes raced through her body, and she eagerly responded. It was a soft, careful touch, lips on lips, and then she felt him open up. Her tongue slid out to meet his, and when they did, she could not suppress a small sound of desire while he jumped back as if he had been burned.

The magic restraints held. Snape sighed. Hermione, too, but for different reasons.

He glowered at her again, before pulling himself together and stepping closer again. His hand came to rest on the side of her face as his mouth locked with hers. The warm touch of his calloused, slender fingers on the side of her face broke Hermione's control. Her right arm slid around his waist, while her left came to rest at the nape of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair.

This time, when their tongues touched, he jerked, but did not move away. Slowly, his tongue slid into her mouth, exploring it carefully. She melted on the inside, scorching shivers running up and down her body. She moaned, drawing him closer, as she allowed herself to grow bolder and soon was taking her time to explore his mouth, too. He tasted delicious, and she could not get enough of him. She felt his right hand on her hip, squeezing her skin, when suddenly he broke off, shoving himself away. Both of them stumbled, no longer held in place by magic constraints, and had to catch their balance. His black eyes, filled with a wild and crazed look, locked with hers for a second before he turned around and fled in a billow of robes.

Hermione was left standing in the hallway, her back resting against the wall to catch her balance, as her knees seemed to be made out of jelly. Her fingers moved up to touch her tender lips where she could still feel his lips pressed against hers. A deep sigh escaped her. What a wonderful way to start a New Year!

 **A/N: Yes, I'm a sucker for reviews, too. It just makes my day. So pleeease push the little button and tell me how you liked it ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for your lovely reviews, they inspired the muse! I present to you: Snape's POV**

Severus Snape had finally found a convenient moment to sneak away from the party. Why in all of the world had he agreed to come? He would have much preferred to spend New Year's Eve in front of his fireplace with a good book instead of nursing a rather poor Chardonnay being bored to death by the trivial conversation exchanged between the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Refilling his glass, he had taken his chance and slipped out to find spend some restful time alone in the library of Grimmauld Place.

Just as he rounded the corner, someone smacked into him, upsetting his balance. He turned around scowling to find Granger mumbling some apology at him. He didn't even let her finish before sneering and turning away, but found himself held in place. He frowned at her, but she just looked at him with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. He studied his surroundings, catching sight of the mistletoe suspended in the air above them.

He quickly hit it with Finite Incantatem, but it remained unchanged. And, as it seemed, it was resistant to fire, too. He studied it more closely, noting the more pronounced shape of the leaves and a milky shine to the berries. A Harpy's mistletoe! He cursed. There was no way to escape a kiss.

It would not have been a pleasant experience with any student, but that it had to be Granger irked him to no end. The little know-it-all had been a thorn in his side for many years. What made it worse was when a couple of weeks ago, while peering closely into her cauldron, hoping to find just the smallest mistake to take out on her, she had shifted closer to see what he was doing, and her scent had wafted around him.

All the other female students in class wore perfume, which clogged his sensitive nose for hours, making it unusable for Potion brewing – aside from the fact that to him, most of it smelled like a colorful amalgam of vanilla, berries, blossoms and the sweet stench of a three-day old decaying mouse. He usually could not eat for half a day if Lavender Brown would approach him too closely. And even those who did not bathe themselves in artificial atrocities still plastered their faces with cosmetics, and most of them had added perfume components.

But Granger – she never wore makeup or perfume. And her scent – a fresh, clean scent that reminded him of the first bouts of spring rain drying on warm soil – had shaken him to the core. He had never smelled anything so wonderful, so alluring before. At that moment, for the first time, he had looked at her and not seen little Miss Know-it-all, but a desirable woman. He had been shocked, because he had never registered how it had happened. Suddenly, she was there, all curves and legs and sparkling eyes. And that smell.

He had recoiled in horror at his own reaction, and not ventured closer to her than strictly necessary ever since. And now he was stuck here, up close in her personal space, and he knew with his next breath he would catch another whiff of her tantalizing scent. It annoyed him to no end to know his body would soon betray him by reacting to it. "It seems this is a Harpy's mistletoe. Damn it! It cannot be destroyed. The spell can only be broken by… traditional means."

There – that was the last of his breath. He braced himself, then drew in a shallow stream of air. He was instantly overwhelmed as her scent registered, his body shooting happy bouts of adrenaline through his veins. He tried as best as he could to glower at her, feeling especially angry because not only did she smell so good, she had also grown into a beautiful young woman. A smart, brilliant, beautiful young woman, who, though unaware of it, now very often caught the eyes of her male classmates. And now she would have to kiss her much older, utterly unappealing Professor. He cleared his throat. "Its requirements depend on the… desires of the female 'victim' of the spell. So we should be fine with a peck."

He glanced down at her, really seeing her for the first time that night. Her hair was a soft, mussed halo around her head, her eyes large and expectant. She was wearing a soft, beige top that hugged her curves, and he had to close his eyes as not to see more of the shape of her lovely breasts. Why did it have to be her, of all people? It would take every ounce of self-control he had. But then again, years of working as a spy for the Dark Lord should have prepared him for the most extreme situations. He straightened his coat nervously. Just keep it together, he told himself, prepare yourself! – and realized he had spoken the last part out loud.

He saw a small twitch at the side of her mouth and groaned inwardly. Oh, she was going to have a good laugh with her friends about this. He glared at her and bent down to brush his lips across hers with as little contact as possible. Still, he felt a jolt, almost like an electric spark, when their lips touched. He pulled back quickly, only to find himself still held in place. A sense of panic started curling in his stomach. He could not stay here much longer with her without having his body react.

Why had it not worked? Could he have been mistaken? He studied the mistletoe intensely. Definitely the Harpy's variety. It should have worked. Unless? His gaze found Miss Granger, staring at him with a perplexed but hopeful expression. He had to look away quickly, as staring into her eyes only added to the confused mix of feelings in his stomach. He cursed under his breath, hating it that he had to spell it out for her. "I was pretty sure that this is a Harpy's mistletoe. It should have worked. Unless…" He had to force the words out, finally meeting her eyes again as his heart started racing in his chest: "Were you, by any chance, hoping for more than just a peck?"

He watched the tips of her ears turn crimson as she whispered: "Obviously." His body went weak as he was flooded with a strange mix of relief, desire and anxiety. He scowled at himself, at his highly emotional and inappropriate response to a student. He tried as best as he could to behave as expected of him. "Well, it would be good to know how far we have to take this, as not to spent more time with unsuccessful attempts," he sneered at her.

She avoided his gaze, dancing around the subject: "Pretty far… Well, you know, the whole package!" He refused to let her off that easily when he had been forced to ask her so frankly about her intentions before. So he just kept scowling at her, waiting. "Do I really have to spell it out for you? A: French kiss!"

Hearing it from her lips, her eyes locked onto his, started a slow, smoldering heat in his insides. It was delicious, and it shocked him to the core. Before he knew it, he had grasped her wand and cast a blazing inferno at the mistletoe, but it just twinkled merrily after the flames had vanished. "DAMN IT," he shouted, because he knew he could not kiss her like that without his body reacting with a very physical response. "Fine. Let's get this over with," he ground out.

He bent to kiss her, and for the first time, really felt her soft pliant lips, and he could have sworn he heard her sigh. When their tongues touched, it scorched him, increasing the smoldering heat inside his body into his own, primal inferno. He was so shocked at his reaction that he jumped back instantly - only to be held in place by magical restraints. It had not been enough. Neither for the mistletoe, nor for himself, if truth be told. He sighed, because he wanted it so much and knew he shouldn't.

This time, he could not keep himself from touching her, capturing her cheek before claiming her lips with his own. This time, he really allowed himself to kiss her the way he wanted to. Just a little bit, just enough to break the spell, and then he would stop and leave and lock this memory away forever. But as his tongue slid into her mouth, all of his good intentions melted away. She tasted delicious, and her small moans of pleasure only intensified the fire that was burning in his body, quickly spreading to the nether regions of his body. Her arms had slipped around him at some point, her fingers caressing his neck, sending shivers down his spine. It felt so good to be held by her, so right. She arched closer, and he put his hand on her hip to draw her towards his groin when he suddenly realized what he was doing and whom he was doing it to, and he pushed her away in a panic.

They caught themselves on opposite walls, and when he caught sight of her swollen lips and her luminous eyes, dark with desire, he wanted nothing more than to pull her in his arms and continue right where they had left off.

Instead, he fled.

As he leaned against the door of the bathroom, having locked himself inside and feeling like a foolish first year, his common sense started to return. Yes, he had kissed Miss Granger. But there had been no other way. And although he knew it would be one of the hardest things he had ever done, he would put this memory out of his mind and try to treat and perceive her as the student that she was. Given some time, that should very well be manageable. Given that she didn't pursue him. But she wouldn't. Right? Not proper Miss Granger. Surely not. No, absolutely not, he convinced himself, before he unlocked the door and returned to the party.

 **A/N: There you go! Didn't I do this nicely? Pleeeease, leave me a review as a small reward! ;)**

 **PS: If you would like to have yet another epilogue to this delicious little story, I will have to point out that I'm currently working on three other HG/SS stories (yes, I am mad, but those plot bunnies just keep jumping around in my head until I write them out) so for that to happen, the reviews would really have to go through the roof. Not that I'd mind if they did… ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much for your lovely reviews! So this weekend I'm down with the flu, feeling miserable. And then there was this wonderful review that made me laugh out loud (thank you, Crazy 109) and as I had to spend hours on the couch not being able to get any work done, I decided I could just write a little more to this story… Enjoy!**

 **...**

Hermione was pacing in her room. She just could not forget that kiss, the way his lips and tongue had felt on hers, the grip of his hand on her hips… and the look in his eyes just before he had turned around and fled. She could have sworn there was something there, some longing – but could it really be true? The way he had responded to their kiss led her to believe so, but maybe she was wrong, maybe he had just wanted to make sure that he did not end up with another unsuccessful attempt to break the mistletoe's spell.

In the end, she decided she had to know. She could not go on like this, spending the next months sitting in his classroom, always wondering if maybe he felt more for her, too. She had to confront him now, to know for sure.

…..

Severus Snape had returned to the party, but as hard as he tried, he could not force himself to talk to anyone, so he opened the book he had grabbed from the library and stared at the pages, his thoughts circling around Miss Granger and the Harpy's mistletoe.

He was still completely taken aback by the fact that she had wanted to kiss him that way. He never would have thought she had any interest in him, that she could be attracted to him. He still could not really believe it, to be truthful. Maybe there was some other explanation, some ulterior motive?

Sighing, he pushed the thoughts from his mind – it did not matter, anyway. She was his student and off-limits. He had been a fool to even think about it. When he looked up, he realized he was alone in the room. He must have been lost in his thoughts for quite a while. Dimly, he remembered people saying goodbye, and he must have responded accordingly, but nothing had truly registered.

Anger flared in him. How could one young woman confuse him so? He had not gone up against the worst evil in this world just to lose control at the lips of an enticing witch. He drew himself up, putting the sneer back into place and strode out of the room.

He pulled on his robes in the hallway, the fabric swirling around him, moving the air in the room. Instantly he caught the smell of fresh spring rain. Her. He pushed his shoulders back and put on his best scowl. "Miss Granger," he ground out, "no need to linger in dark corners."

He pierced her with his stare when she stepped around the corner, and he saw her flinch briefly, but she did not look away.

"Professor."

"What is it, Granger? Did you not test my patience enough tonight?" he replied tersely.

"It's just – I need to know…" she let her sentence trail off, her courage failing her miserably at the sight of his long, lean, towering frame.

"Granger, stop being a mumbling mess or get out of my way. I need to get home."

She glared at him, almost giving in and freeing the way, but then she remembered how he had looked at her after their kiss. There had been something there, she was so sure!

"It's about the kiss, Sir." She was relieved her voice did not waver. "For a moment, I had the impression… that you enjoyed it, too."

He glowered at her, thunderous, but silent. Her heart clenched in her chest. For him to admit to anything, she would have to lay her heart bare, first.

"So I was wondering, if maybe, it was possible… that you might feel a bit about me the way I feel about you," she finished, a bit breathlessly.

She let it sink in, watching his face. The stony mask of his face did not change, save for a small twitch in his right cheek. Her feet wanted to run, but she forced herself forward, until she was almost toe to toe with him. She tilted her head to the side, regarding him, posing a direct question for the first time: "Do you have any feelings for me?"

Finally, he spoke. "Don't you think that is a rather ridiculous idea?" he sneered. She wanted to recoil when she heard the scathing tone of his voice, but the way he had worded his answer gave her hope. It was a clear case of Snape-speak.

"I should hope not," she replied, not letting him off the hook, "So - could you ever imagine yourself in a relationship with me?"

He sighed, stepping away from her. With a raised eyebrow, he looked down at her. "Why should I ever be interested in an insufferable little know-it-all that also happens to be my student? Are you utterly out of your mind?"

He glared at her coldly, but a warmth spread inside her stomach at his words. For a second time, he had not answered her question. He could have just told her no, and logic dictated that he would – except if that happened to be a lie. A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth, and she could see confusion starting to form in his eyes – her reaction was not what he had expected.

Letting the warm feeling overtake her body and actions, she stepped forward to close the gap he had created, and tugging on the lapels of his robe, pulled him in for a kiss. His body tensed as their lips met, and he stayed frozen when she started softly nibbling at his lips. She knew this was just his last line of defense. If he did not want her to kiss him, he would just push her away. But he did not.

She let her teeth graze his lower lip, and then swept her tongue over the same spot. He gave a small groan and finally, finally fastened his arms around her and let himself take over their kiss. He was bold, demanding, and soon her legs refused to support her, her stomach swirling with the most delicious feelings. He turned her around, pushing her into the wall, his hands digging into her hair, tilting her head just at the right angle while his strong body pressed against her kept her upright.

Their kiss under the mistletoe had been delicious, but this was taking it to a whole new level. The knowledge that they both wanted it on their own free will was unlike any other aphrodisiac. She arched against him, her arms in the same position as they were during their previous kiss – one tangling in the hair of his neck, the other one slipped around his waist. It was not enough; she needed to be closer. She lifted her right leg and slid it over his hip, perfecting the angles for their bodies to meet. At the contact, they both could not suppress a very vocal response.

He pulled his mouth away from hers, locking his wild black eyes with hers. "Hermione," he rasped. She cupped his cheek, her chest aching with unspoken emotion. "Severus."

He shuddered at the sound of his given name coming from her lips, then put his forehead to hers. His hand slid from her calf to her thigh, then slowly lowered her leg to the floor.

"We need to stop this," he whispered. "It's not appropriate."

"When will it be?" she whispered back. "What about when I graduate?"

He drew back a bit, regarding her with a wary expression. "I suppose so. But that's still many months away. For now, we can't pursue this, so why think about it? Who knows if your feelings might change? Let's see when the time comes."

She slid her fingers through his hair. "They're not going to change. It has always been you. It will always be you."

He gave a deep sigh that almost sounded like her name. Still, she did not relent: "So, if my feelings – or yours – have not changed after I graduate, will you pursue this? Will you be willing to start a relationship with me?"

His eyes met hers, and she saw a tortured look inside them, but after a minute, it vanished and was replaced by calm resolve.

"Yes."

His lips met hers in a last, crushing kiss full of desperation and longing, before he turned and vanished in the green flames of the fireplace.

 **A/N: Ahhh… Yes! So, do you think they'll be able to uphold their good intentions until graduation? Who knows? *wink, wink*  
Let me know what you think and leave this poor sick author some reviews to make her feel better while she is slowly dying on her couch... ;) **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So, bad luck for me means lucky you! It seems that, after publishing the new chapter of "Guilty pleasures", some glitch keeps my reviews from being shown. I received the notifications and the review count has gone up but it shows no reviews for Chapter 18. :(  
So I want to find out if this affects only that story or the whole profile which is why I wrote a new part to this story! I hope you enjoy it and please leave a review so I know if it works :)**

Part 4

Severus Snape stood on top of the Astronomy Tower, overlooking the grounds of Hogwarts. His hands gripped the railings, knuckles turning white while a crisp, cold wind whipped his hair around his face. The dark pools of his eyes stared off into the distance, oblivious to the last students hurrying towards the main doors, excitedly chattering about the ball that was about to take place that night.

The merry mood that had taken over the castle only served to deepen Severus' depression. Anger and self-loathing churned in his stomach. What had he been thinking all those months ago, when he had made that promise to her? How could he have been so stupid? He had known that she was young, and full of hormones, and probably likely to quickly fall in love with someone else. He had even told her so. And still – he had answered her question with a "Yes" instead of some evasive answer. Why had he made himself vulnerable in that way? Would he never learn, always destined to make the same mistake over again?

After the incident on New Year's Eve, they had kept their distance. In the classroom, he had quickly fallen into his old behavior, just as snarky and bad-tempered as before, and she had gone along with just the same way. Only sometimes, when they had met in the hallways and no one was around, had they shared a look that said that they remembered their promise.

At first, he had been secretly optimistic that it would work out between the two of them, that somehow, someway they would start a relationship after her graduation. But then weeks had turned into months, and slowly, things had started to change. She had still spent most of her time with the rest of the Golden Trio, but more and more, he had seen her walking alongside Gordon Davies from Ravenclaw. He had told himself that they were just friends, studying together, but after a couple of weeks, in which the contact had only increased, he had spotted the two of them on a date on a Hogsmeade weekend where he had been forced to chaperone.

It had been like a punch to his stomach as the truth of the cold reality had set in: her feelings _had_ changed. Understandably, as Davies had all of the good looks Potter sported, right up to the messy mop of hair, minus the idiocy and plus, unfortunately, a rather bright mind. He was the perfect partner for Granger, and that had made it all the more clear to him how much he himself was not.

That night, he had drunk himself into a stupor, swearing to himself not to think of her again, not to look at her, to just ignore her until she graduated and went away. He had not thought there was any other way he could bear this.

She had sensed a change in him, and tried to approach him, but he had refused to talk to her. She had seemed surprised, but had not pressed him any further.

More often than not, when he saw her now, she was walking alongside Davies, sometimes she had linked her arm with his. His chest had ached at the sight. Luckily, the times he had seen her had been rather sparse.

And then, tonight, he had been walking down the hallway when she had stepped around the corner, all dressed up for the ball. She had looked absolutely beautiful in the long, flowing dark green gown which hugged her curves, her hair spilling around her shoulders in tamed curls, her eyes sparkling. The sight had robbed him of his breath. She had said his name, then, and he had snarled at her to just leave him alone, why couldn't she? – and then left her standing there, walking away as fast as he could without breaking into a run. His feet had taken him to the Astronomy Tower, and he had let himself be led there. He was not in the mood for company, and he would not be able to stand seeing her, dressed like that, dancing in the arms of her boyfriend. The ball would just be brighter for the lack of his presence.

He shivered in the cool wind, but could not force himself to move. He tensed as he heard a sound – the turning of a handle, the low squeak of the hinges as the door to the tower was opened. He did not look around to see who it was, hoping whoever it was would take that as a sign and just leave.

"Severus?" _her_ voice said.

He whipped around, piercing her with his stare. "It's still Professor Snape to you, Granger!"

She flinched at his tone and mood, but could not help herself from moving closer. "Is something wrong? Did I do something?"

He sneered at her. "Don't you rather need to ask your _boyfriend_ that?"

She looked at him, bewildered. "Are you mad at me because of _him_? Did you just expect me to send everyone asking me for a date on their way and never go out with anyone?"

He felt furious. How could she believe that he'd just happily look on while she was enjoying other men? Was that girl out of her mind?

His thoughts must have shown on his face, because she went on, her tone not quite as bewildered anymore, and a lot more angry: "What, I should just say no to everyone who dares to ask me out, making it look like I'm some weird recluse or some chit who thinks she's better than everyone else?"

"No, but still – it seems like it progressed from holding hands in Hogsmeade to jumping into bed together quite quickly!" he snarled.

She looked at him and snorted, annoyed: "You know, I'm at an age where being a virgin moves from 'endearing' to 'embarrassing' rather quickly. It's a lot less nasty gossip to deal with this way."

"What?!" he shouted at her, hurt and fury and pain biting into his insides. He had to get away from here, away from her.

As he pushed past her, she grabbed his arm and, surprisingly forcefully, pushed him against the wall. His defiant gaze met her burning eyes as she shouted at him: "You DO know that Gordon is gay, right?!"

All of his breath left him in that moment. What?!

Now that he thought back, there had been rumors about a gay Ravenclaw a couple of months ago, but he had never been one to gossip, so he had not paid attention to any name.

"So, the two of you never …?"

"Kissed?" she supplied. "Gods, no! It'd be like kissing my brother. Or Harry." She shuddered.

Kissed! He thought, oh thank Merlin she thought I was talking about a kiss. He felt relief until a nagging voice in the back of his mind pointed out that this meant she was still a virgin. A virgin waiting for _him_ to… relief turned into anxiety very quickly.

He was so absorbed in this thoughts and emotions that it took him a second to realize she had kept on talking.

"… I was convinced you knew he was gay, I'm so sorry, I never considered that you might not know."

"No, I'm sorry," he replied, "I should have just asked you about it. I don't know why I did not." He sighed. "Seeing the two of you together made so much sense, so much more than…" he let the sentence trail off.

"Hey," she said softly, putting her hand on his cheek, turning his face so he would look at her. "I have told you before: I want to be with _you_ , and no one else. Nothing has changed about that."

He sighed. "It would be better for you if it did."

Her temper sparked. "Are you sure this is about me? Maybe _you_ are looking for a way out."

"Right, of course, what a horrible situation I've gotten myself into: The brightest witch of her time, beautiful, smart and funny, wants to be in a relationship with her old, snarky greasy-git-professor. What a terrible predicament!" he snarled.

He prepared himself for an angry outburst when a joyful smile appeared on her face. "You think I'm beautiful?" she inquired, her shiny eyes fixed on his.

He grumbled and looked away. He hated it when she did that. React in such an unpredictable, very charming way.

"Severus," she whispered. When he looked at her, she slid her arms around his waist, her eyes issuing a question… or maybe a request. She had moved closer until they touched, and tilted her head, waiting for him to finish what she had started.

He looked down at her and could not force himself to push her away. What was the harm in one more kiss? Just this one, and then they would wait until her graduation. It was not anything they had not already done before, he reasoned. She looked so alluring in her flowing dress, her luminous eyes locked on his, her soft lips slightly parted.

He sighed, giving in, and bent to kiss her. This time, he let her take the lead. After weeks of doubt and disappointment, he needed to know, to feel, that she really wanted this. She did not disappoint him. The moment their lips touched, she came alive. One her hands moved up to tangle her fingers in the hair of his neck, her fingers scraping the skin in the way that he loved, while she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss between them, and her passionate reaction left no room for any doubt.

Again, he could not deny that it felt so right to be embraced in her arms, that it seemed like this was where he was supposed to be. It was incredible to feel her mouth on his, her body moving against him, and he was glad that the wall at his back was keeping him upright; he doubted his knees would have. Kissing Hermione was overwhelming. His hands had come around her during their kiss, pulling her closer. His right hand moved lower, his fingertips grazing the swell of her buttocks. She sighed happily, and arched into him. A wave of heat spread through his body and he knew he had to end this now, before it went any further.

Capturing her face with his hands, he pulled away slowly, pressing little kisses along her lower lip. When he pulled away, she smiled drowsily at him, and with a deep sigh whispered: "I can't wait to graduate."

He chuckled at that, then turned to open the door for her. Before she slipped through, she asked: "Will I see you at the dance?"

"Yes," was all he said.

 **A/N: So, how did you like it? Please leave a review and let's hope it will show up!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! They finally showed up after a couple of days, I'm so happy. So to say thank you, I wrote another snippet for you. No, not graduation yet, sorry ;)  
Not that I'm a Valentine Day person, but somehow, the muse struck me… Enjoy :)**

Valentine's Day

Severus Snape was sitting at the staff table in the Great Hall, his disgusted stare following the chubby little cupids zooming about. He hated Valentine's day from the bottom of his heart. Hearts, flowers and pink ribbons everywhere, not to mention all the snogging students. He shuddered in disgust. All in all, this day only served to show him what he had never had. Not that he'd ever wanted hearts or ribbons, but a gesture that said 'I care about you' was something he'd always longed for; but he had never been a recipient of anything that would count as that.

Dessert appeared, and with it, a Chinese fortune cookie, the ends shaped in a wider arc so that it looked like a heart – and it was pink, of course. Delighted laughter rang through the hall as people opened their cookies to read their messages to each other. It was romantic nonsense. As Minerva read aloud "Love is the greatest gift of all" he had the urge to vomit. He picked up his cookie, studying it with revulsion. He knew if he left it, Minerva would snatch it and read it out loud, so he was forced to do it himself. He broke it, extracting the little slip of paper, and squinted down to read:

" _You have beautiful hands. When I'm watching you chop, slice and mince ingredients, it is as if your fingers were working their own kind of magic. It is mesmerizing, and it makes my body tingle."_

He read it again, bewildered. This was not one of those standard phrases, it seemed to be written specifically for him. There could only be one…

He looked up at the Gryffindor table and caught Hermione's eyes. She gave him a grin that confirmed his suspicions. He allowed himself a small answering smirk, then turned away before Minerva could notice anything. She had kept her eyes trained on his hands, trying to read what the piece of paper said. Luckily, it was very small and Minerva's eyes were not the best. He closed his fingers over it, pretending to ball it up, and then carefully and inconspicuously slipped it into his coat pocket. Giving Minerva his best annoyed looking face, he sneered: "I will soon find my true love", leaving her giggling: "Oh, Severus, how wonderful! I can't wait to meet her."

He glared at her before he turned left the Great Hall, muttering under his breath: "I think you already have."

…

Parchments were piled high on his desk when he entered the office, and he sighed at the prospect of working through the afternoon. When he sat down into his chair, he noticed a small scroll of parchment that rested on top of his papers, and had not been there this morning when he had last been in the room. He lifted it and broke the wax seal gingerly, opening it up to read:

" _When I'm lying in my bed at night, drifting in that place between awareness and sleep where our dreams seem to come true, I think about you._

 _Meet me at 6pm at the place where we last kissed."_

He leaned back in his chair, a warmth spreading through his belly. She had obviously put a lot of time and scheming into this – how she managed to get those messages into his cookie and into his office remained a mystery to him – and what she had written made something twist deep inside him. He had always been the one longing for another, and never been the one longed for. Until now. He still could not believe, really believe it, that the most beautiful, brilliant witch of all time had chosen him. That she had put so much effort into doing something nice for him. It warmed places inside of him that he had long thought were dead. His fingers lovingly followed the flowing lines of her writing while he read her note over and over again.

…

At 6pm, he opened the door to the Astronomy tower. He was rendered speechless as he took in the scene: A table draped with soft white linen and set for two, silver domes covering their plates and a bottle of exquisite red wine sitting next to a small vase with a single flower – a daisy, he noted with a smirk. A red rose would have been cliché, he thought, and somehow that little daisy spoke to him, carrying just enough sarcasm to make the gesture endearing. How well she knew him.

She had been seated when he had opened the door, and as he stepped through, she rose to meet him, pulling him into her embrace. He couldn't help himself and leaned closer, brushing his lips over her temples and catching her wonderful scent. That she would go through all this effort just to do something nice for his sake was still unfathomable to him. This gesture said more than a thousand words, and something squeezed the heart in his chest and made it harder to breathe.

"Hi," she said, and pulled away, one of her hands travelling down to catch one of his, making his skin tingle at the contact. She led him to the table and he sat down, still speechless; he had to clear his throat before he started speaking. "I am amazed at what you did here. How did you ever manage it all?"

She smirked at him "I couldn't not have done it without the help of the house elves. Luckily, they seem to have forgiven me for my S.P.E.W. days. The warming charms, though," she gestured around, and he noticed for the first time that the cold wind was blocked out, leaving the air warm and comfortable, "…are all my own doing. And the flower!" Her smirk turned into a grin.

"It is wonderful," he replied, "and I especially do enjoy that flower." She laughed at that and handed him the bottle of wine to open.

"What about your boyfriend?" he inquired.

"Oh, he's also very happily on a secret Valentine's date with _his_ boyfriend. We both cannot wait until the school year is over to finally officially break up and be with the person that we want to be with." She took the wine glass that was offered to her. "Just five more months," she said wistfully.

"Five more months," he echoed, clinking his glass with hers.

During dinner, conversation strayed easily from one topic to another, and he was amazed at her vast knowledge and keen interest. Not matter if they talked about Potions, history, politics or literature, she was able to hold her own. Dessert appeared over a wand core discussion that almost turned heated.

She sighed as she turned to look at the watch on her wrist. "I'll have to leave in half an hour. I'm supposed to meet Gordon in Hogsmeade so we can walk back together from our 'date.'"

"All good things must come to an end," he replied.

"Only for a short while, I hope." He looked into her eyes, seeing a hint of insecurity in their depths. "I do hope," she continued hesitantly, "that what we are going to start after graduation will not end one day." He shivered at her words. That she wanted him for more, that she wanted him to be a permanent part of her future was something he had not allowed himself to imagine, to believe in. "Not ever," she whispered, and closed the distance between them, pulling his head down toward hers. "Not ever," he confirmed, sliding his arms around her waist.

Her lips brushed over his, nibbling at the corners of his mouth, and he sighed as he let go and indulged in their kiss. He still could not believe that she really wanted him when she could have her pick of pretty much every bachelor available, but as she arched into him, sounds of desire escaping her lips, there was no mistaking that she really wanted this, wanted _him_. He could not believe his luck. His arms tightened around her, pulling her so close that their bodies were pressed flush against each other. After what seemed like very long time of discovering the delicious taste or her mouth, which caused incredible sensations to run through his body, he felt her pull away.

"I need to go," she whispered regretfully. She brushed her fingertips across the back of his hand, trailing the length his fingers with her own. "I meant what I said in my notes." She brought his hand up to her mouth, kissing his fingertips. "At night, I think of you. And your hands. And what they might do to me." She nibbled at one of his fingertips. "I wish I could speed up time."

He closed his eyes to savor the sensation of her lips on his skin. How could one small witch make him lose his concentration and his will by just the merest of brushes of skin against skin? He drew in a shuddering breath, hoping he did not convey how much her actions affected him. The slow smile that she gave him in return told him that she probably did. But the deep sense of satisfaction he saw gleaming in her eyes made him believe that it might not be such a bad thing that she knew how much she meant to him.

"You know, 'Love is worth the longest wait,'" he replied dryly, quoting one of her fortune cookie phrases.

"Gnaaaa," she grumbled unhappily, "Soppy romantic nonsense. But there is a bit of truth in it – I don't think I have ever waited this long for anything. I don't think I've ever anticipated anything more. And you know how I feel about N.E.W.T.s"

"I have beaten your N.E.W.T.s in terms of anticipation? I'm speechless. And honored." He smiled down at her. "Well, now you know just how much you mean to me." She grinned before throwing her arms around his neck for a last, passionate kiss, and then she was off to meet Gordon.

He was left standing on top of the tower, overlooking the grounds and wondering if he had ever felt that happy before. Probably not, he mused, as his fingers brushed over the two pieces of parchment hidden in his coat pocket.

 **A/N: Don't you feel a little bit happy now? Me, too. Even more so if you leave a review ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This FF . net server problem is hell. I uploaded a new chapter of Guilty Pleasures yesterday and everything crashed and burned and only one review made it through. As I am highly addicted to reviews, I cannot let this go. Also, I needed some happy fluff to get me in good spirits. Which is why you are getting a new chapter of Harpy's Mistletoe today. Let's hope it does not crash and burn the server.**

 **Also - Graduation just could not happen in one chapter, you're in for a slow burn ride. Buckle up.  
**

Graduation - the Beginnings

A ray of sunlight shone through the window of the staff room, treating the freshly baked bread rolls on the table to a golden glow. Minerva McGonagall leaned back in her chair with a sigh, taking a sip of her tea. "I can't believe the school year is over already. How time flies by! Watching them leave today will be a rather sad affair for me, I'm afraid. Many of those who have graduated this year are rather dear to me."

Flitwick and Vector voiced their agreement, reminiscing about their favorite graduates. "A silver lining, though, is that Miss Granger is going to stay at Hogwarts for an apprenticeship," Flitwick said, and added, smirking, "which will no doubt be under my supervision, as she is going to choose Charms!"

McGonagall and Vector were quick and very vocal to contradict him, pointing out Hermione's extraordinary talents in their subjects. Flitwick held up his hands in surrender, chuckling. "Well, we will see. She still has all of the summer holidays here at Hogwarts to decide." Then his eyes turned sad. "I just hope she is not going to take the end of her relationship with Davies too hard. I was so sad to see them break up, they were perfect for each other!"

McGonagall let out a snort as she tried to stifle her laugh. "Filius, seriously, didn't you know that relationship was just a ruse?"

His eyes widened. "What?! Whatever for?"

McGonagall sipped her tea, smirking. She looked around the staff room, her eyes resting on Severus for a moment. He seemed unnaturally quiet today. Well, he _was_ a naturally quiet person, but not that much. Was he troubled by something they had talked about? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the brightest witch of her time had not considered Potions for her apprenticeship. She smirked, unable not to feel a bit smug that he had now gotten a bit of backlash for how he had treated her favorite Gryffindor girl all those years. Served him right to feel sorry now, she told herself. Although a small part of her, one that liked the snarky Potions Master very much and even considered him something of a friend, chided her for those petty thoughts.

She turned back to Filius, happy to gossip: "Well, didn't you know that Davies plays for the other team?"

She waited until the confused look in Filius' eyes disappeared as he realized she was not talking about Quidditch. "No!"

"Yes!" she answered, smirking.

Flitwick gaped about the room, completely flabbergasted. He jabbed his finger at Vector. "Did you know?"

He harrumphed at her smirk. "Unbelievable." He turned to Snape, fixating him with his stare. "What about you?"

Severus slowly raised one eyebrow. Flitwick groaned. "I must be an idiot!"

McGonagall's pearly laughter was followed by a quick apology to Flitwick. "I'm sorry I laughed. Actually, that you didn't know just shows that you're not taking part in petty gossip. Which I do rather enjoy, I must admit."

Flitwick shot an amused glance at Snape, who growled, "I do not take part in petty gossip, either. But I do have my sources," before falling silent again.

Flitwick sat back in his chair, thinking. "But why?"

"Why what?" Vector asked.

"Why would they pretend to be in a relationship?" Flitwick asked.

McGonagall sighed. "As much as I would believe that we live in a completely progressive world without prejudices, I think it is clear that if Davies would have openly shown his inclinations, there would have been a backlash. Imagine the Slytherins." She shot an apologetic look towards Snape before continuing. "So pretending to be in a relationship with Granger allowed him to keep up the pretense until he graduated."

She took another sip of tea. "If Miss Granger got anything out of this deal, I don't know. She is someone who would do something like that for a friend without expecting anything in return."

They sat in silence, contemplating her words. Vector spoke. "Miss Granger has grown into a beautiful young woman at the height of her hormonal activity, and statistically, she would receive a lot of offers of suitable classmates. They have been in this fake relationship for almost a year. That is an incredibly long time to be charitable, forsaking a relationship for yourself. Probability points to the idea that she must have gotten something out of it, too."

Flitwick's brows furrowed. "If you're going to tell me that Miss Granger is gay, too, then I don't know what to believe anymore."

This time, both McGonagall and Vector laughed out loud. "Oh, no, no chance of that!"

McGonagall sighed. "Don't you remember that time when she was head over heels in love with that Weasley boy?" She heard a sharp crack from her right, a sound just as if someone had squeezed a mug so hard that it had broken. She looked over to her right, where Severus was seated, taking a sip from his mug of tea. Shaking her head, she returned to the conversation.

"They would have made such a lovely couple, I don't know whatever happened," she sighed.

"Common sense happened," Vector said, her lip curling.

"What?" McGonagall sat up straighter. That sounded suspiciously as if Septima was to say something negative about one of her Gryffindors. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, come on, they were as mismatched as they could get. Granger is bright, incredibly talented, hard-working, focused, a book-worm, an overachiever. She needs someone who can hold her interest in a conversation, who can match her intelligence. And Weasley – all of that – he's not. The most he can talk about is Quidditch, and I've once watched her listening to him babbling on about it and you could see that after a couple of minutes she was slowly dying on the inside. No. No, no, no."

McGonagall huffed and puffed and puttered but somehow did not find the right words to contradict her. Grudgingly, she conceded. "Fine. Who would you deem worthy of Miss Granger, then, Septima?"

Vector leaned back in her chair, thinking. "That's a tough one." After a few minutes, she threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine. None of her classmates are a good fit."

McGonagall smirked. Flitwick, who had watched the exchange with interest, piped up. "You know, my nephew is a rather charming young man, quite smart, adept at Charms, too. They would make a good match."

"Ha!" Vector cried, "I'm sure he could not hold a candle to my younger brother. _He_ would be a great match for Granger. Arithmancer like myself. And a very good one at that."

McGonagall grinned as she spoke up: "I'm sure I could find a suitable match in my family, too, but considering all the points you have mentioned, I think maybe we should look in Snape's family for a match." She turned to Severus, who regarded her with a shocked expression that almost made her giggle. "Well, if we could find a younger version of Severus, and replace his constant sour disposition with a sunnier one, he'd be a perfect match."

The room erupted into laughter and Severus angrily jumped up from his seat, glowering at his colleagues. "I have better things to do with my time than playing matchmaker," he sneered, "or taking part in petty gossip. Have fun marrying off your relatives." The closed the door loudly behind himself.

* * *

Severus Snape strode down the corridor, his anger streaming like a cloud around him. Lost in his thoughts, he almost bumped into a student, and just in time choked down his snarl when he realized it was Hermione.

She smiled up at him, then frowned. "What's gotten into you?"

He tried to arrange his face into a neutral expression. "Nothing, it's fine. Anxiety, I guess."

"About us?" she inquired.

He sighed. "Have you told your friends yet?"

"No," she said, and as she saw his expression fall, she quickly explained. "I wanted to check with you first, to make sure you're alright with me telling them about it. I do want to tell them. Very much." She smiled up at him, hoping that she had erased his doubts. He still looked troubled.

"You know they are not likely to react very welcoming. Indeed, if word gets out, it is going to get ugly. Imagine what Minerva and the other teachers are going to say about it." He took her hand, squeezing it. "Maybe you should make Potter and Weasley promise not to tell anyone, and we can keep this secret for as long as we can."

She looked at him, hurt. "You do not want them to know about us? Are you ashamed of being with me?"

His eyes softened, and he drew her closer. "Never. I would never be ashamed of being with you, do you hear?" He pressed a kiss on the top of her head, then let out a deep sigh. "It's just… there will be repercussions and nasty gossip to deal with. The other teachers are not going to take it well."

"Well, then they will just have to accept my decision." She said flippantly.

He felt his anger rise at her easy dismissal of the problem. "Don't you understand? They think no one is good enough for you! They expect you to marry fucking Prince Charming!"

Her temper flared in response. "I don't want to marry fucking Prince Charming!" she shouted, "I want to marry _you_!"

She stood stock-still after that, her words ringing in the silence of the corridor. She felt a deep blush spread over her cheeks and was unable to meet his eyes. She watched as one of his hands came up to cradle her chin, slowly tilting her face up so she had to look at him.

His eyes glowed with emotion, and she felt herself relax as he whispered softly: "You do?"

"Well, not right now, of course. But – in my fantasies, that has always been where this has led to." She looked up at him, a silent question in her eyes.

"In mine, too," he admitted.

She slid her arms around him, pressing the side of her face to his chest, breathing in his scent and sighed happily. "I do much prefer my Half-Blood Prince to any Prince Charming."

At that, he finally tilted up her face to capture her lips. She mewled in response, turning around in his embrace to slide her arms around his neck. Due to the public space, it was a chaste kiss, but it felt like so much more to both of them. It was a promise, a taste of what was yet to come. They pulled apart, eyes still locked on each other, both of them catching their breath.

She leaned forward one last time and pushed herself up on her toes to reach his earlobe with her mouth. As she nibbled on it, she breathed "I can't wait for tonight," before she pulled away, walking down the corridor to meet with the other students waiting for the train.

He had to steady himself against the wall, his legs feeling wonderfully wobbly.

* * *

 **A/N: * hopeful stare with puppy dog eyes * Reviews, please?  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Are we there yet?! – Sorry, kids, not yet. But next stop, I promise.**

 **Lovergyrl100 – Upside: I published this chapter earlier than planned because you asked so nicely ;) Downside: No smut yet. But soon...**

 **As for your speculation about Minerva: As much as she and Severus secretly enjoy each other's company and friendship, he would not have told her about Hermione, especially as he still sometimes has his doubts that everything will work out the way they planned. Plus, they were very sneaky about it, so there would have been little clues for McGonagall to catch. Therefore – Minerva's still clueless. But not for long now ;)**

 **Also: Showdown with Harry and Ron!**

* * *

Graduation: Confessions

Hermione stood at the far end of the platform, hugging first Ron, then Harry.

"I can't believe you're not coming with us!" Ron complained. "I was looking forward to us three spending that last summer together."

She shot him a rueful smile. "I'm sorry, Ron. But I'm sure the two of you are going to have a great time, anyways. I hear Lavender is coming by for a visit?"

Ron shuffled his feet, looking slightly disconcerted. "Um, yeah."

"I'm glad the two of you are making up. I think the two of you are a rather good fit." _Unlike us_ went unspoken, but the small smile he shot her told her he knew what she had been thinking, and that he agreed.

Harry sighed. "Still, could you not come with us for a week and then come back?"

She smiled apologetically, and drew in a breath, gathering her courage. "Actually, there is another reason I want to stay here. It's not just about choosing the right apprenticeship."

Harry studied her, and after a moment, understanding dawned on his face. "Are you seeing someone?" he asked, flabbergasted. Then understanding hit. "Of course – you didn't do the relationship with Davies just out of the goodness of your heart. You had someone on the side, too!" he said in a half awed, half accusing tone.

Ron drew in a harsh breath, a most peculiar expression on his face.

"It's not like that," she said, trying to make them understand. "Nothing has happened so far." She cleared her throat. "Well, nothing but a kiss. Kisses. Not many." She sighed, feeling her cheeks burn. "We needed to wait until I graduated."

"But why?" Ron asked, confused.

She just looked at them, waiting for the penny to drop. Harry was the first to get it. "It's a teacher!" he shouted, "But who…" his gaze drifted over to the group of professors standing at the other end of the platform. A short perusal left only one viable option. "No," he whispered, "Snape?!"

" _Professor_ Snape, Harry," she chided him with a smirk, "and _Severus_ to me."

"No!" Ron echoed.

"Oh yes," Hermione replied with a smug smile.

Ron did a favorable impression of a fish caught on land. "How? Why?"

Hermione turned to look at Severus, letting her eyes travel over the sharp planes of his face, his lean frame tightly buttoned up in his black robes, his raven hair fluttering in the wind as he scowled darkly into the distance. She could not suppress a deep sigh. "Oh boys, that is something I can't put into words. He's just…" she could not find any words, but the sound that escaped her, half-whimper, half-purr, seemed to suit the purpose just fine.

When she turned back to Ron and Harry, both had sickly expressions on their faces. "Oh, stop it, the two of you!" she chided them. "You will have to get used to the idea. He is going to stick around, if I have any say in it."

Ron snorted. "And then what? Are you going to marry that old bastard?"

Hermione glared at him. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes, I plan to. He's _my_ old bastard. And I'm the only one who may call him that, are we clear on this?" Her stare told him that he was on very thin ice.

"Sorry, 'Mione," Ron mumbled. "I'll try to keep my tongue in check."

Harry stepped up and pulled her into a hug. "I'm very happy for you, Hermione," he said, patting her on the back. "It was time for you to find someone special, too."

"Oh yes, that I have," she replied, smiling joyfully. She hugged the boys a last time and then watched them climb onto the train. The last of the students followed them inside, the teachers and staff spread out on the platform to wave goodbye.

She walked towards the group of professors, noting that Severus stood a bit to the side, a dark look on his face. He seemed caught up in his thoughts and did not notice her approach until she was right next to him. She lifted her hand and slowly slid it into his, linking their fingers.

He looked at her in surprise, and she saw a flash of undefinable emotion cross his features before he gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand. She rested her forehead on his arm for a minute before turning around to face the train that was just starting to move. She saw Harry and Ron waving from a window, and she had to smirk at Ron's expression when he spotted their linked hands. He saw that she had seen it, too, and shot her an apologetic grin and then gave her a thumbs up. She chuckled and gave him a short nod of approval.

The train gained speed and soon, it disappeared around a corner. Everyone turned to walk back to the castle.

Hermione heard a gasp and looked up to see Minerva staring at their interlinked hands. A look of shock crossed her features, and her hand rose up to cover her mouth. Hermione felt Severus tense up next to her.

"Professor McGonagall," Hermione said in a friendly but reserved tone, giving her a nod and a smile as a way of greeting, before she turned to walk back to the castle, keeping a firm hold on Severus' hand all the while.

There was a second of silence before she heard Minerva speak up. "Miss Granger," she said, hurring to fall in step next to her. "- Hermione, if I may," she added, giving her a smile that almost reached her eyes, "I would very much for you to join me for tea to talk about your possible apprenticeship in Transfiguration."

Hermione smiled in response, nodding, eager to hear more about what she could expect if she took the position under McGonagall.

"How about now?" Minerva gave her a meaningful look, completely ignoring Severus' next to her.

Hermione sighed. She just wanted to be with Severus, to finally do everything she had dreamed of all those months. Yet, she could see the stern disapproval in the lines of McGonagall's mouth, and she knew how much it affected Severus. She would have to put a stop to this now, and then everything would be so much better for it later on.

She stroked her thumb over the back of Severus' hand, hoping to convey that everything was fine between them, before she responded. "Yes, actually, now would be a good time." She turned towards Severus. "I'll go find you afterwards?" she said, smiling warmly at him in reassurance, giving his hand a last squeeze.

"As you wish," he said, his mouth a thin line as he dropped her hand and walked through the main doors of the castle. She watched as he walked away, his black robes billowing behind him, and she felt her heart squeeze in her chest. A soft hand squeezed her arm and turned her around. Minerva's worried eyes stared into her own. "Hermione, dear, what have you gotten yourself into?"

Hermione's temper flared. "Nothing that I did not absolutely want," she said curtly.

Minerva sighed. "I'm sure you feel this way now, my dear, but give this a couple of months and you might see a lot of things differently. You're still so young." _And he is not_ went unsaid, but it was as clear as if she had spoken it out loud.

Hermione glowered at her. "To your information, I _have_ already considered this for many months. Didn't you realize that the fake relationship with Gordon was for my benefit as well? Indeed, I was the one that approached him with the idea."

"What?!" Minerva gasped. "You have had a secret relationship with a teacher during your last year?!"

"What? No!" Hermione shook her head angrily. "Nothing happened between us so far. It was very important to him to wait until I had graduated." Overwhelmed by her annoyance, she added: "I would not have had the same self-restraint, would it have been up to me. But he is worth all of the waiting and the trouble." She drew in a deep breath, meeting Minerva's eyes with a confident stare. "Speaking of which, I get the impression that the staff might stir up some trouble regarding the relationship between Severus and me. I do realize it is a strange situation for everyone involved, seeing that I am a former student, but I am not going to change my mind about this. The question is, is the attitude of Severus' colleagues going to change my mind about staying at Hogwarts for my apprenticeship? You see, I have received several other offers for apprenticeships outside the school, and there are some that have really sparked my interest. I would like to stay here, of course, but only if I can feel confident that _my life choices_ are not questioned or judged upon by the staff and my colleagues."

She could see that the color had drained from Minerva's face during her speech, and she folded her arms across her chest, waiting for her former Professor to speak.

Minerva cleared her throat. "It seems I have been mistaken in some of my assumptions. I am sorry, Hermione. Please believe me, I only want what is best for you. If being with Severus is what makes you happy, then I don't want to stand in your way." She took Hermione's hands into her own. "And I am sure that none of the other teachers will want to see you leave Hogwarts, so how about I walk up to the staff room and prepare the others? And warn them that it will be hell to pay if they bother the two of you? You know, as Headmistress I do have some leeway there." Her eyes hat softened during her speech and now looked warmly down on her former student.

Hermione shot her a relieved smile. "That would be wonderful, Professor McGonagall!"

"Call me Minerva, please. We will have our talk about the apprenticeship another time, yes?"

"Absolutely!" Hermione beamed, giving her a quick hug before she raced off to find Severus.

* * *

 **A/N: Ok, so next stop is what we've all been waiting for - the two of them finally getting each other. Any special wishes, ideas or expectations? So far, the page for** ** **the next chapter** is still completely blank.  
Please pour your ideas into the reviews, if I like them, I'll take them as inspiration. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Are we there yet?! – Yes! Yes, we finally are! Now go play and have fun!**

Graduation: Completion

Severus Snape sat in his armchair, an unopened bottle of Firewhiskey next to him. His fingers trailed along the rim of the empty glass tumbler in his hands, his thoughts on Hermione and Minerva. The look of shock and disapproval on McGonagall's face had told him all that he needed to know. If even the one person that came closest to a friend condemned him for this relationship, he did not even want to imagine the reaction of the other professors. He would become a pariah, and Hermione would be tainted because of her association with him.

But that was not the only thing that unsettled him. Minerva was Hermione's beloved mentor, and a small part of him was deeply afraid that she would see the sense in Minerva's words and change her mind about being with him. As much as he tried to convince himself that she would not do that after all this time, he could not stop thinking about it, his mood turning somber.

* * *

His heart sped up as he heard the door to his rooms open. He jumped out of his seat, turning towards the sound. Hermione appeared in the doorway, out of breath, her cheeks rosy with a healthy glow. A smile broke over her face when her eyes met his, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. He had never seen anything so beautiful before. In this moment, all of his doubts about her evaporated, and he gifted her with one of his rare smiles in return.

She closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his waist, smiling up at him expectantly. When he cupped her cheek and brushed his lips over hers, a sigh escaped her and she pulled him closer, asking for more. Their kiss soon turned from sweet to passionate as their hands explored each other. She could not believe they were finally free to do whatever they desired. The reality of the whole situation and what they were about to do started setting in, and her heart took off racing.

His fingertips left scorching trails on her skin, and to think of them travelling further to other, forbidden places on her body left her breathless. She pulled back to look into his eyes, and saw the same mixture of awe and desire that he must have seen in hers, and she wondered if she had imagined a spark of anxiety that she thought she had seen. Maybe she was not the only one that was nervous about the imminent loss of her virginity.

But then she saw even more in the dark pools of his eyes – something akin to uncertainty or doubt, mixed with sadness. She brushed her fingers over his cheek. "Something is still bothering you. What is it?"

He sighed. "It pains me to think that being with me is going to taint your reputation. You deserve so much better."

She frowned at him, bewildered. "What in all of the world are you talking about?"

"You saw Minerva's reaction – and she is the one person at Hogwarts that I could call a friend if I had to. We are going to have to face some harsh judgement from the people around us. It is going to be very unpleasant, for a long time."

"Or not," she said, smiling smugly and told him about her conversation with Minerva. When she was finished, he stood stock-still.

"You didn't!"

"Oh yes, I did." She bobbed her head enthusiastically.

"How very Slytherin of you," he said, an amused glimmer in his eyes.

"I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you."

He grinned at her, his eyes shining with humor and adoration. She felt her heartbeat pick up as his gaze turned heated. They did not break their stare, and she could feel her body start to tingle in several foreign places.

He lifted his hand and stroked his knuckles over her cheek. "Hermione," he said hesitantly, "We've never really talked about what would happen today. I don't know what your expectations are, but I want you to know that I am willing to wait – for however long you need."

Her heart clenched in her chest at his considerate words. She had given it a lot of thought in the last couple of weeks and had decided after waiting for such a long time, she did not want to rush things. They could start exploring each other slowly, getting to know each other step by step. It would make their first time so much better in the end.

"Thank you, Severus. That was just what I needed to hear." She took his hand, linking her fingers with his. "It's not that I don't want to – it's all just so new, we should not rush things." She looked up at him, gauging his reaction, but all she saw was acceptance and tenderness. She smiled in relief, snaking one of her hands behind his neck, pulling him down for another kiss that burned down to her toes.

Pulling back slowly, he said: "How about we take it slow and have dinner first?"

He really was perfect, she thought. Her heart thrummed with emotion. "I think that is a great idea," she replied, smiling, and let herself be pulled into his embrace.

She felt his lips on her cheek, her eyelids, then on the corner of her mouth. Her body instantly responded, and with a quiet moan, she turned her head towards his, capturing his lips, her hands sliding into his hair, pulling him closer. His taste, his scent and the touch of his tongue sent her to new heights. Her body was on fire and she needed to be closer. She pushed him towards the wall, arching her body into his as their kiss gained in urgency.

When their lower bodies came into contact, his breath hissed out with a sharp sound. "Hermione," he groaned, "if you keep this up I won't have any self-control left to take things slow."

Blood was thundering in her ears and she could not think about anything else than how much she wanted to be with him, to finally have all of him. Her hands roamed over his body on their own accord. She squeezed him through the fabric of his pants.

He cried out. "Hermione"

Lowering his head, he stared into her eyes. "Are we rushing things? Please tell me we're rushing things."

He could see the fire in her eyes as she replied "Oh yes, we are."

Sweeping her up into his arms, he strode towards the door of his bedroom.

* slow fade-out *

* * *

 **A/N: Ah, wasn't this nice?**

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 **A/N: Just kidding, there's a bit more…**

* * *

They landed on the bed in a heap, their lips locked, eager hands trying frantically to rid each other of their clothes. She fumbled with his shirt while he unbuttoned her blouse. Her hands felt clumsy and much too slow for her taste. Finally, they were touching skin to skin, and both stilled in their actions, savoring the moment.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly, trailing his fingers through her hair. Instead of answering, she pulled him on top of her. He started a trail of slow, fiery kisses down her body, and a short while later had her crying out in ecstasy. She had not known her body was able of producing such intense feelings, leaving her breathless and quivering, but filled with an ache that needed to be soothed.

"Severus, I need you," she whispered, pulling him up so he came to rest between her legs. "Now," she pleaded.

He kissed her fiercely, holding her gaze for a last time to make sure it was really what she wanted before he finally closed that last distance between them and made them complete. She cried out in pain, but it was short-lived, and his soft kisses were taking much of it away. Soon, pleasure started to take over as she reveled in the feeling of having him inside her, making her whole. They were moving together, their breath intermingling, and she did not know where her body ended and his began. It was like a sensual dance that brought them to new heights. Soon, it picked up its pace, fired by passion and desire. When they finally reached the peak together, she cried out his name.

When it was over, she held him close, unwilling to let him move away although he mumbled something about crushing her. She did not care. This moment was perfect, the feeling of his skin on hers, his breath warm and soft on her neck. She relented insofar as to let him roll to the side, mindful that they did not move apart even a fraction of an inch while doing so.

She felt incredible. She was completely sated. A lethargic happiness settled over her, and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Severus Snape looked down at the woman cradled in his arms. It was a miracle. He had never thought that something like this would be in the cards for him. He had always been an outcast, unwanted, not fitting in, destined to watch others lead happy lives while he had to look on from the outside. And now – this. The most beautiful, talented woman he had ever known wanted him. Not only wanted – she had waited for him longer than he had believed anyone would, had fought for him with all her heart and had mapped out her future in a way that he would fit in. When they had made love, he had felt complete for the first time in his life, and hearing his name fall from her lips in the highest throes of pleasure had been incredible. Recalling that memory, the look on her face, had shivers running down his spine again. She took his breath away, and he pulled her closer, still unable to believe that he had really won it all.

His gaze slid to his nightstand, where, hidden inside the drawer, his mother's ring was sitting in a box. It was too soon, much too soon, but it was best to be prepared. He was sure that she was the only one he ever wanted. And now he would wait until he knew for sure that she felt the same way, too.

With a happy little sigh, he cradled her closer and fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

* * *

 **A/N: *Sigh* Here's the happy end you've been waiting for… Can I has reviews, please? *throws puppy dog eyes back into the ring***


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sometimes, one reader of your story can make all the difference. Your reviews really keep us authors going. This is for all of you that have reviewed, followed or favorited this story, with special thanks to gentledove2 ;)**

* * *

Epilogue: part 1

The sun shone through the window and touched upon the cover of his bed. It was a lazy Saturday morning, and Severus could not believe another school year was coming to an end. How different his life was compared to one year ago. His eyes opened to look at the woman cradled in his arms, her wild hair spread out in all directions, tickling his neck. He felt her soft breaths on the skin of his chest. His arms tightened around her, his fingertips travelling over her bare arm.

The last few months had been pure bliss. For the first time ever, he was not only free, but he had the woman he loved to share this new life with. Much to his surprise, she was as taken with him as ever. She loved him fiercely and showed it to him with small gestures and in the way she looked at him. They hardly ever spent any time apart and never seemed to grow bored together. Granted, they did have a fair amount of passionate arguments, but those were usually followed by equally passionate make-up sex, so for him, their relationship was perfect. And the look in her eyes when he caught her studying him when she thought he would not notice told him that she was rather happy with the whole situation, too.

So everything was perfect, except … except for his colleagues. Sure, at first, everything had seemed perfectly fine. Minerva had made good on her words and given her lecture to the other professors, resulting in a delicate acceptance of their relationship. Of course, there had been some glances and some whispering, but no obvious or outspoken rebuttal of their relationship had ever come.

He had allowed himself to relax and let himself believe that they had really accepted it, that they might even get to the point where they might be happy for them. And yet, in the last couple of weeks, his doubts had returned with a new fervor. Sometimes, he was quite sure, some of his colleagues would give him a calculated look, as if to judge how long it would be until she finally left him. He wondered if maybe, they had hoped it would blow over, that she would see sense after a couple of months and decide to break it off.

Maybe they had just been playing nice because they all thought it was only temporary. He wondered how long it would take before they would voice their doubts about his relationship to Hermione again. It should not bother him, he knew that. She was happy and so was he, but still – he had come to enjoy feeling accepted, and to be judged again was quite a blow.

It didn't matter, he told himself. All that mattered was that she loved him with all her heart, and of that he was sure. He just wished he could be the man she deserved, a man that was respected by the people she worked with.

He drew in a deep breath, dispelling his sinister thoughts and made to slide out of the bed. A small, warm hand on his arm stopped him. "Where do you think you are going?" Hermione's sleepy voice asked.

"Making breakfast?"

"Not yet," she replied, and with a tug on his arm, pulled him back into bed and rolling on top of him. "I still have some plans for you." She covered his mouth with hers, and all thoughts vanished from his mind as his body responded to hers.

He had thought that the mad need he had felt for her during the first few times they'd made love would lessen over the following months, but in truth, his desire for her was just as strong as ever. When she rose up above him to join the two of them together, the sight of her, framed by her riot of curls and love shining from her eyes took his breath away. Their movements turned from slow to heated, and when they reached the crest together, he called out her name, thinking he wanted her to be his, forever, for all the world to see.

Afterwards, they lay in a tangle of limbs, too content to move, and while she fell asleep again, his eyes could not help but travel to his nightstand, his thoughts on the ring inside. Was it too soon for him to ask her? He really wanted to, but the uneasy feeling he had recently experienced when in the company of his colleagues had somehow kept him from pursuing this thought any further. Maybe it was not the right time yet.

* * *

Severus strode out of the teachers' lounge, angry and irritated at the atmosphere in the room. He had told himself that he was paranoid, that he had imagined the calculated looks they had given him, but now, he was sure of it. There had been secretive glances at his person, as well as whispers too quiet to pick up on. It had taken all of his willpower not to openly confront them.

He snarled and ripped his arm away as someone touched his elbow. He whirled around and looked into the surprised eyes of Minerva McGonagall.

"Minerva," he said tersely, not apologizing for his reaction to her touch. He had seen that calculating look in _her_ eyes before, too, and he had not forgiven her yet.

"Severus," she replied with a smile, not at all disturbed by his acerbic behavior. "I would like to speak with you. Care for a walk around the lake?"

He scowled at her, but obviously, she had something to say to him so it might be best to get it out of the way now. He gestured for her to lead the way.

* * *

The reeds at the side of the lake swayed in the soft summer breeze. The buzzing of bees and the joyful chirping of birds travelled through the air. An occasional splash of water could be heard when some small creature slithered away to hide in the cool depths of the lake as footsteps approached.

"As much as I enjoy the view and the fresh air, I do believe you wanted to talk to me?" Severus said, impatiently waiting for Minerva to speak.

"Yes. I do hope you know that you're my friend, and I hope you'll forgive me if I'm prying into your private business."

Severus suppressed a growl. Of course. She wanted to talk to him about Hermione.

"I wanted to talk to you about… Hermione," she said, obviously trying to choose her words carefully.

"That is indeed prying into my private business."

Minerva continued, undeterred. "I have been wondering –"

He interrupted her before she could go on. "Have _you_ been wondering or have you _and all of my colleagues_ been wondering?"

Minerva shot him a quick, apologetic smile. "So you picked up on that, hm?"

He only glowered at her.

"Well, that's actually what I came to talk to you about. I know you don't want to hear anyone else's opinion on your relationship to Hermione, but I was hoping that there was a chance you would listen to me." She shot him a wary look out of the corner of her eye to judge his reaction.

He just glowered more intensely. He didn't want to hear their concerns.

Minerva took a deep breath. "Well, although I can see that the two of you are happy with this relationship as it is, I think the time has come for you to…" She hesitated before finishing her sentence. "…to propose."

All of the air left Severus' body in one rush. What?!

"WHAT?!" he shouted. His thoughts were reeling, trying to wrap around this unexpected turn of events.

"I know, it's none of my business." Minerva held up her hands in a soothing gesture. "But I also know that you do not have anyone to talk to about this so I just thought I'd approach you with it."

Severus stared at her for a minute, contemplating her words as well as the strange behavior of his colleagues during the last weeks.

"There is something you're not telling me. Something that has to do with my dear colleagues. Spit it out," he said.

She tried to look innocent, but he just snarled at her: "I haven't been a spy for several decades not to notice when someone is keeping something from me. Spit. It. Out."

She had the decency to lower her eyes in embarrassment before she confessed. "The staff might have a put a wager on it."

"Excuse me?!"

"We might have taken a bet on when you would finally propose to her."

Severus looked at her in shock. All this time he had been worried they disapproved of him, when in truth, those little bastards had been contemplating when he might get down on one knee. He was furious, but at the same time, his knees weakened in relief at the thought that they had not been opposing their relationship – on the contrary, it seemed.

Severus narrowed his eyes at Minerva. "And have you, by any chance, placed your bet on some time during the next few weeks?"

Minerva's eyes sparkled as she replied. "I might have."

Severus harrumphed, then started down the path around the lake again, his thoughts occupied with everything that he had just learned. A large part of his thoughts, though, kept circling back to Hermione and how he might introduce her to the ring in his nightstand.

Minerva fell in step behind him, rubbing her hands in glee.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you liked it! Please review :)**

 **I've always wondered what it's like to write an SS/HG story on someone else's prompt, so how about if this story ever reaches 300 reviews, I am giving a oneshot to the 300th reviewer?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you for your beautiful reviews, they do make me return to this story and keep my muse going. Hence, part 2 of the epilogue!**

* * *

Epilogue: part 2

Hermione sighed as she rolled up the parchment with her finished Arithmancy project. It had been fun, she had to admit, but it had not captured her attention or curiosity the way she had hoped. Although she loved figuring out riddles and calculating probabilities, the practical aspect was lacking. On the other hand, the Transfiguration project she had done for McGonagall had encompassed too much practical aspects and too little use of her brain to figure out problems.

She was well into her apprenticeship in Charms with Professor Flitwick, but she could tell that restricting herself to only one branch of magic would not do. To the delight of the other professors, she had announced that she would take on a second apprenticeship after finishing her training with Flitwick. She had agreed to do several projects for her desired subjects on the side to make it easier for her to choose when the time came.

What she secretly wished for, though, was an apprenticeship in Potions. The subject combined both aspects that drew her – the practical as well as the problem-solving. She had hinted at it, but had not asked Severus outright for a project. She didn't know how he felt about it, and he had enough to occupy his mind with at the moment.

He was swamped with work. As it was the end of the school year, parchments piled on his desk, waiting to be corrected, as the end-term exams had just taken place. To add to the pressure, the merry mood in the castle had infected the students to increasingly partake in minor offences like breaking curfew and sneaking out of school grounds. They had doubled the patrols, leaving Severus with even less time to work.

Recently, he had seemed distracted, absent-minded even. She tried to put it all down to the stress and the lack of time, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind questioned if there wasn't more to it. Maybe it had something to do with her hinting at an apprenticeship with him. What if he did not feel comfortable with that and did not know how to tell her?

They had only consumed their relationship when she had no longer been his student. His sense of honor had kept him from breaching that line. Maybe he did not want to be in a position of authority over her again.

Or was it that they spent so much time together already that he did not want to spend _all_ of his time with her? Maybe he did not want to risk growing tired of her, the nagging voice in the back of her mind supplied.

Nonsense, she admonished herself. He loved her, of that she was certain. And if he did not want to be her Potions Master, she would accept that. What they had right now was more than enough. She did not need to have it all.

Although there were several questions in the back of her mind that begged to be answered. The most obvious one, was of course, what time span he found appropriate from the start of the relationship to… a marriage? A proposal? They had talked about marriage a long time ago, but it was in the heat of the moment, and since then, neither had spoken of it again. They were both enjoying the moment. Maybe it was the idea of the apprenticeship that had kept him waiting. If she had to choose between the two, which one would she pick?

The sound of footsteps drew her attention, and she turned around in her seat to watch Severus sweep into the room, dragging his hands through his hair and giving an exasperated sigh. When he spotted her, he gave her a small smile but it did not quite reach the depth of his eyes. He seemed worried, nervous even.

She rose and walked over to him quickly, sliding her hands around his waist. "Is everything okay?"

"Just an unfortunate accident in the lab. The fifth years are brewing calming draughts and one of the cauldrons that were on a stasis spell overnight was contaminated."

Hermione's raised eyebrows told him she understood the problem. Still, he elaborated. "The ingredients of the Calming Draught itself are harmless, but combined with different substances, they can react quite volatile when vanished or moved." He sighed again before continuing. "It takes quite some time to figure out what has been dropped into it just by the changes in color, texture and smell of the potion. Yet, it is of utmost importance to know what the object is before handling it."

She understood that this would again be adding to his workload, leaving him with even less time. That still did not explain his nervousness. Something more was going on. He seemed to be weighing a decision in his mind, unsure how to proceed. She held her breath, waiting for him to speak.

Finally, his gravelly voice reached her ears. "I was thinking that maybe, figuring out what has contaminated the potion would make for a nice Potion project. In case _someone_ might be interested in an apprenticeship."

She looked up at him with shining eyes and a radiant smile on her face. "Yes, absolutely, yes!" One of her hands came up to his neck, sliding in his hair. "I'd love to," she whispered, before capturing his lips with hers.

The nagging voice in the back of her mind spoke up, but she ignored it.

* * *

Hermione was bent over the cauldron, peering in its depth. So far, she had several clues, but no concrete idea what exactly it was that had been dropped into it. She bent over the cauldron and inhaled deeply, drawing the potion's scent into her nostrils, trying to identify as many different nuances as she could. She could make out most of the herbal components, but there was an underlying, coppery smell that should not have been there. Whatever had been dropped into the cauldron had added this scent to it.

She heard the creak of the door and opened her eyes to watch Severus sweep into the room. His dark eyes met hers, and again she could not shake the impression that he was plagued by several emotions, almost bordering on nervous as he took in the sight of her at the cauldron.

He had moved his lessons to a different, unused classroom to give her time working with her project. She would have expected him to hover more, but he only came by once or twice a day, studying her as if to gauge her reaction to her project. Was he hoping she wouldn't find it fascinating? Or was he unnerved because she found it too intriguing? Whatever plagued him, it had turned worse over the last days, at the same speed her project had progressed. She could no longer fool herself – her working on this project made him uncomfortable. But why?

Again, she hoped that, if she decided to pursue Potions further, it would not influence his take on their relationship. But maybe she was fooling herself.

She held her breath as he leaned over her, skimming over her notes. He murmured something in the back of his throat but she could not decide if it was approval of criticism. She leaned back, resting her head on his chest. She needed to feel him close to her. He slid his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head before releasing her again.

"I have a class to teach," he said before turning on his heel to leave the room.

Hermione took a deep breath. Maybe she should just stop with the project if it bothered him so much. But then again, she loved a good riddle and it was impossible for her to let this go. She felt she was so close to the solution that her fingertips tingled in excitement. She just had to finish this.

* * *

Hours later, the door opened again. She recognized the soft footsteps of dragonhide boots as they made their way over to her table.

"You missed dinner in the Great Hall," he said,

"I'm sorry, I was so caught up in this," she replied, her eyes still on the parchment. "I'm almost there, I can feel it." She finally looked up at him and saw his expression. His dark eyes were full of conflicting emotions, worry and anxiety at the forefront.

Her stomach dropped at the sight. She had known that it had affected him, but not how much. She decided that it might be time to turn in for the night, but Severus stopped her.

"I think you are right – you have all the pieces of the puzzle, you just need to put them all together. Tell me what you have so far." He pulled up a chair next to her and regarded her expectantly. She could still see anxiety lurking in the depths of his eyes, but she would have to face the problem soon, and maybe tonight was the night.

She pulled her notes closer, really putting her mind to it for the first time. She had been so distracted by thoughts of Severus that so far, she had concerned herself only with the puzzle pieces, not the whole picture.

"The coppery smell as well as the changes in color –" she listed the changes and the reactions that had caused them " – led me to believe that a large component of the object that has been dropped into it is made out of some kind of metal." She glanced over at him, but his expression was unreadable. She ventured on. "The sparkles that have appeared in the potion point to a highly carbon based matter, probably translucent. There is a green sheen to some of the sparkles, which could mean that part of the foreign matter contains chromium, which means it is probably some variety of the mineral beryl."

Her mind played through all possible objects that could match the criteria she had named, but so far she came up blank. Severus expression, again, gave nothing away about if she was right or just making an enormous fool out of herself. Maybe she did not need to worry about deciding whether to accept an apprenticeship after all. Maybe it would not even be offered if she failed miserably. Pulling herself together, she picked up where she had left off.

"The color changes seem centered to the middle of the cauldron, which indicates that the object came to rest at the center of the bottom. As the color changes do not quite reach the outer edges of the cauldron, I believe the object is rather small. The color change itself is rather intense, though, so the object might have a rather large surface compared to its mass, for example a disk or a..."

Her voice faltered as her mind finally presented her with a perfect solution for her problem, clearly displaying in her mind the object she was looking for. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes locked on Severus'. She finished the rest of her sentence with a whisper.

"…or a ring."

Carbon based matter and beryl mineral! "A ring that might be set with diamonds and an emerald."

Oh my God! Her hands flew to her mouth as she was overwhelmed by shock. Was this really what she thought it was?

Her hands trembled as she watched his reaction. The anxiety was still there, but there was something else, too, that tenderness that she usually only caught glimpses of. Retrieving large wooden pliers, he dipped them into the potion and pulled out the object hidden at the cauldron's bottom, dropping it into his other hand.

Glinting in the light, a most beautifully crafted white gold ring sat in his palm. A beautiful emerald of a dark green, rich color was flanked by glittering diamonds. It was a delicate yet utterly gorgeous ring.

"It's a family heirloom," Severus said in his deep baritone that had a slightly hoarse quality now. "I held onto this for years, never believing that one day, I might actually have need of it."

He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear before taking one of her hands in his. He looked deeply into her eyes. "Hermione Granger. In this last year, you have made me happier than I ever thought was possible. I could not love you more or want for more, and I do want to share the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, Severus, yes of course!" She slung her arms around his neck, holding him close. She heard a deep sigh of relief breathed into her neck and his tall frame relaxed in her arms.

She pulled back with a puzzled look. "Were you actually nervous that I would say no?"

When he looked at her, all of the previous anxiety and worry was gone, replaced by a rather sheepish expression. "I was a wreck," he confessed. "I don't have any experience in such matters and I did want to make this special for you. But I am just not a man for hearts and flowers. There was nothing I could think of that did not feel wrong or artificially romantic to me. And the more time passed without an idea, the more anxious I grew. I took that as an opportunity to stock up on calming draught, which is why I had the students brew it. And after class, when I was fumbling around with the ring, trying to find some inspiration – well, one thing led to another. And then this seemed kind of perfect. Just in case that some part of you decided it was finally seeing some sense and wanted to run screaming from the greasy old git," he squeezed her hand at that, "you could have just pretended not to be able to identify the object."

"I would never run from my greasy old git," Hermione murmured fondly, earning a scowl from said git.

She let out her own sigh of relief. "And here I thought all your nervousness stemmed from you trying to avoid having me as a Potions apprentice."

He pulled back, giving her a bewildered look. "What? Why would I want to avoid that, for Merlin's sake?!"

"Well, you see enough of me already," she explained. "I thought that you might not like the intrusion into your workspace."

Severus pulled her tighter into his embrace. "I will never grow tired of you, Hermione. And if you would like to pursue an apprenticeship in Potions with me, I'd be thrilled."

"Really?" she asked, blinking up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Of course," he whispered into her ear. "Although you might have to deal with some intrusions yourself." Pulling her closer so that her lower body came into contact with his, he growled, "I do have a very particular intrusion in mind right now."

Capturing her lips in a searing kiss, he swept her off her feet and cradled her in his arms as he took off in the direction of their bedroom.

* * *

 **A/N: I just can't see Severus as the down-on-one-knee flower type.** **I hope you liked it. Please leave a review to make my day. :)**


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